Tag Archives: holiday

5 Thanksgiving Tips for Au Pairs & Host Parents

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Even though a few other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s still considered a uniquely American holiday, one that the au pairs look forward to experiencing. You can learn more about it here.

“I really enjoyed Thanksgiving with my host family. It was as I imagined! So much food to try. Everyone got dressed up and shared what they were thankful for. It was so warm and special. The next day we began to prepare for Christmas. It was magical.” Selina from Germany

Below you will find some tips to help you have a terrific Thanksgiving experience.

 

Host Parents

1.  Please plan to include your au pair in your Thanksgiving celebration, if at all possible. Thanksgiving with an au pair offers an opportunity to consider the relevance of the history and meaning of Thanksgiving as you compare the hospitality offered by the Native Americans to the recently arrived Pilgrims and the hospitality you offer your au pair.

2.  If you are traveling or will not be able to invite your au pair to join you for Thanksgiving, give her plenty of notice and help her make alternate plans. You don’t want to leave your au pair alone over the holiday.

Au Pairs

3.  If you are invited to attend dinner, please let your family know within 5 days of the invitation, whether you are planning to attend. It is considered rude in America to accept the invitation for dinner and then change your mind later in the month. Please be thoughtful.

4.  Make sure to discuss time off during this holiday weekend. Many host families work the Friday after Thanksgiving so do not assume you have this day off or the entire weekend. Talk to your host family, BEFORE you make any plans.

5.  If your host family is unable to include you in their Thanksgiving plans, please let me know if you have trouble making other plans. You may be able to join a friend and their host family for the holiday dinner.

Bonus Tip for the Kids

If you are looking for a fun recipe to make with your au pair, check out these turkey cupcakes. Find more fun activities and recipes on the Au Pair in America Fall Holidays pinboard.

Photo: Tim Sackton (Flickr)

Au Pair Holiday Party

 

FullSizeRender1This December, our au pair cluster joined four other clusters to celebrate the holiday season.  Over 100 au pairs enjoyed the festivities.

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We enjoyed traditional American holiday food as well as international dishes that the au pairs supplied. Santa came to visit and spread a lot of joy. Au pairs brought gifts end participated in a fun yankee swap game.

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For more photos, go to au pair holiday party

Au Pairs Celebrate the Holidays at ArtLounge in Arlington, MA

 

In December, we joined another local au pair cluster and celebrated the holiday season at ArtLounge in Arlington.

Au Pairs had a chance to mingle, listen to holiday music and enjoy refreshments.  They also participated in a fun Yankee Swap.

Half way through the evening, an artist came in to lead those who chose to paint through the steps of creating their own painting.  It was interesting to observe how each au pair put her personal touch to the painting.

 

 

 

 

 

For more photos of our celebration, go to Holiday Party.

Au Pair Holiday Party

Last week, we had our annual au pair holiday party.  We joined another cluster in Lexington and went to the Yantze River Restaurant in Lexington Center.

Au pairs ate from the plentiful buffet, did a yankee swap game and sang holiday songs in their language.     

We ended the meeting by caroling around the Lexington Center Christmas tree.

For more photos and some videos please visit Holiday Party

Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING

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Time for Family & Friends

In The United States Thanksgiving tradition began in 1621 after the first harvest by the Pilgrims who came from England.  New York was the first state to celebrate Thanksgiving in 1817 and in 1863 it became an official holiday.

Thanksgiving is generally seen as a time to get together with loved ones, eat a ridiculously large amount of food, watch some football, and of course give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. Many homes will be decorated with horns of plenty, dried corn, and other ’symbols’ of Thanksgiving.  Schoolchildren across America will ‘reenact’ Thanksgiving by dressing as either pilgrims or Wampanoag Indians.

230512-Royalty-Free-RF-Clipart-Illustration-Of-Happy-Pilgrim-Children-Serving-A-Thanksgiving-Turkey Start a Thankful List with the children:

Have each child write a list of things he or she is thankful for and hang it on the refrigerator.  Keep adding to the list by asking the children at least once a day what they were thankful for that day. If the child is too young to write, have the child tell you what he/she is thankful for and you write it down.

This could be shared with the family at the Thanksgiving table!

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He was a leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States. His most famous address was the “I Have A Dream” speech. He was an advocate of non-violent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated in 1968.  Shortly after he died, a campaign was started for his birthday to become a holiday to honor him. Following support from the musician Stevie Wonder with his single “Happy Birthday” and a petition with six million signatures, the bill became law in 1983. Martin Luther King Day was first observed in 1986, although it was not observed in all states until the year 2000.

Martin Luther King Day is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.

Here are some fun activities to do with children on this holiday:

http://www.primarygames.com/holidays/mlk/games.htm

An Important Holiday Message

As we approach the holiday season, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of the laws regarding alcohol consumption in the United States.  At this time of year you may be invited to holiday parties and events where alcohol is served.

It is illegal for anyone under 21 to drink alcohol.  Even if you are over 21 please be mindful if you are with other au pairs who are under 21 and the risk they take if they break the law.  Using fake id’s is also illegal.  Of course, drinking and driving is extremely dangerous and puts lives at risk.  You should never drink and drive and getting arrested for drinking and driving has very serious consequences in this country.   Also, be a good friend and don’t let your friends drink and drive.  You have invested a lot to be here to enjoy your experience in the United States and I want all of you to be successful.  Be safe and don’t take unnecessary risks.

Always put safety first and enjoy the holidays!

The Holiday Season

It’s November which brings us into the holiday season.

We’re starting with Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 22  which dates back to the first European settlers in North America. After hardship, illness and hard work the Pilgrims celebrated a successful harvest that they shared with their Native American friends. This national holiday is a day to feast and give thanks.  Check out the recipe below for a nice Thanksgiving dessert.

I hope you can use the Holiday Season to truly experience cultural exchange.  Try to learn and participate as much as possible and also offer to share traditions from your home country.

As the Holiday Season gets into full swing, there is a lot of potential to overeat and gain weight.  Three tips experts agree on are 1. do not skip meals, 2. select small portions, and 3. stop eating when you are full.

Cranberry Apple Pie

Ingredients

PIE

  • 1 refrigerated pie pastry
  • 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
  • 2 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

CRUMB TOPPING

  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie pan with the pastry, fluting the edge.

Thinly slice the apples crosswise and combine them in a large bowl with the cranberries. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and flour, mixing well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Add the butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the topping over the pie and bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges. Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours before serving. Serves 8.

Boston Area Au Pairs Celebrate The Holidays

Bettinas au pair group

Bettina's au pair group

Boston area community counselors

On Sunday, we celebrated the holidays with other Boston area au pair clusters at the Scout House in Concord.  Over 150 au pairs participated in the au pair holiday gala.

Counselors supplied holiday music, decorations, main dishes like ham, turkey, lasagna, as well as a holiday punch.  Each au pair was asked to bring food to share from her country.

Au pairs also participated in a gift swap game during which they were asked questions like “Who has visited the Grand Canyon,” or “Who has an American boyfriend?” As you can imagine, there was a lot of laughter involved.

Gift Exchange Game

Gift Exchange Game

As a conclusion to a fun evening, au pairs also split up into country groups to sing traditional holiday songs from their country.   Here are a few samples:

At the end of the evening, the au pairs got together with their counselors and received a gift.

For more photos and videos of our holiday party please go to Holiday Party 2011 and Au Pair Holiday Party 2011